The achievement and maintenance of bodily health in the case of people who are confined to wheelchairs is greatly facilitated by suitable exercise within the capability of the individual, while such athletic achievement by these individuals is an important factor in the maintenance of morale and in enhanced public perception of the handicapped.
Certain prior arrangements of exercise apparatus for wheelchair users can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,153,244 May 1979 Tauber; 4,402,502 September 1983 Peters; and 4,747,595 May 1988 Mabry et al.
However, the appartuses of these earlier patents do not achieve the range of movement and facility of use achieved by the present invention.
Thus, in the case of Tauber a weight lifting apparatus has a frame which surrounds the wheelchair of the user, thus generally requiring third party assistance in reassembling one side of the surrounding frame, to contain the chair of the user. The arrangement provides a vertical guide frame with slider dumbbells for a vertical press, and hand held stirups for pulling exercises, and is somewhat limited in its range of use.
Peters provides a modified form of exercycle, intended to provide pedalling type exercises for both arms and legs, with motor assistance where required. No wheelchair restraint is provided, and the apparatus appears directed for use primarily by persons suffering from a tendency to muscle spasms.
The Mabry et al. device provides a frame to receive a wheelchair and occupant in secure relation, having a series of adjustable weights, displaceable by tension cables. These cables include one pair "for connection with a curl bar or other exercise implement", which is not illustrated. No provision appears to be made to tether such a curl bar or other exercise implement, or provide any form of restraint or protective safety device for the user, while the presence of a curl bar severely limits the extent of use of the apparatus.